When in Rome
Fresh pasta, catch of the day, creamy gelato, and the juiciest fruits: a little glimpse of my everyday study abroad food journey. As per usual, my study abroad group wanted to embrace the culture and get our hands on as much authentic cuisine Italy had to offer. With Rome being a major food capital, this wasn’t such a challenge.
Living Local-ish
Spotting what the locals and other tourists were eating became the main way we’d map out this food journey. Our days were filled with eating penne bolognese next to the Vatican, waking up to creamy mozzarella balls complemented by an array of prosciutto trays, and vibrant caprese salads. Every meal came with a side of an amazing view of Italy’s landmarks, like my favorite, eating the plumpest fresh strawberries while in Pompeii.
Surprise
The moment I’ll never forget is when we surprised our chaperone with a “birthday” pastry from the seafood restaurant in Sorrento, Italy. As the sole chaperone and professor, keeping track of 11 students posed a bit of a challenge, especially when some of us didn’t report back on time. Understandably, our professor was a tad upset with the group. So, we took it to ourselves to apologize while having dinner ocean side. Shortly after telling the waiter it was her “birthday”, he surprised her with a sparkling zabaglione, a traditional Italian custard dessert.
My study abroad trip to Italy left me dreaming about fresh pasta and cannolis for months after I arrived back home. But what I missed most, was sharing every meal with my friends and fellow abroad members. It was through all the delicious (and sometimes strange) food experiences that we became a close-knit group.